Ni Chang Episode 27 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
Su Gongming sternly warned Su Wenyu against any private dealings with the Palace Market Bureau, threatening severe consequences if trouble arose. Su Wenyu defiantly declared his intention to pursue that path, explaining he felt marginalized at home, even by an outsider woman, and needed to find his own way. Su Gongming angrily accused his nephew of trying to usurp his authority. On their journey back to the capital, Ouyang Ziyu and Xiao Lu took lodging at an inn.
Ouyang Ziyu noticed the waiter's suspicious behavior when serving their meal and had Xiao Lu test the food with a silver needle, which surprisingly showed no immediate signs of poison. They proceeded to eat, but later that night, both began suffering severe stomach pains, realizing they had been poisoned. Enduring the intense discomfort, they decided to return to the capital and strategize there, unwilling to alert their hidden enemies.
Ouyang Ziyu assured Xiao Lu that the poison was not life-threatening and likely intended only for robbery, but he found the incident far too strange to be a mere coincidence, suspecting it was a targeted attack. With Ouyang Ziyu bedridden, the Emperor re-assigned the task of hosting Princess Lan Zhao to the Palace Market Bureau. Yuan Daocheng and Mr. Gao were delighted by this turn of events, discussing Ouyang Ziyu's severe illness and his approved leave.
The imperial physician confirmed Ouyang Ziyu had ingested "Centipede Powder," a potent poison that severely damages one's foundation, particularly affecting those with stronger internal cultivation. He was advised to take medicine consistently for over a month to fully recover and avoid future complications. Xiao Lu, having suffered a milder poisoning, was already back on his feet. However, inquiries at the inn yielded no information about the suspicious waiter, confirming Ouyang Ziyu's suspicion of a deliberate plot rather than random robbery.
Concerned about Xie Xiaoni, Ouyang Ziyu instructed Xiao Qin and Xiao Lu not to reveal his condition, planning to explain everything himself once he had recovered. Xie Xiaoni found the daily sales at Herb Hall sluggish, prompting her to lament the competitive nature of the Palace Market, which operated only every fifteen days but offered substantial profits. She worried about Ouyang Ziyu's prolonged absence, noting it had been days since his last visit.
Meanwhile, an old woman, Aunt, arrived with Cheng Tian, offering to cultivate herbs for Herb Hall as a repayment for Xie Xiaoni saving her from prison and helping her reclaim her lost property. Xie Xiaoni graciously accepted, insisting on fair payment for the herbs. Liu Zixuan then made another visit, expressing his dislike for being addressed as "Young Marquis" by Xie Xiaoni and Yuan Xiang, preferring a more informal "Zixuan."
When Yuan Xiang mentioned Xie Xiaoni's similar informal relationship with King Luo, Liu Zixuan, unaware of the connection, scoffed at King Luo, dismissing him as a "dull old scholar" he had only known through a birthday invitation list.
Liu Zixuan then enthusiastically tried to help attract customers for Herb Hall, but his overly generous sales pitches, such as "buy two balsams and get three sachets free," caused Yuan Xiang and Cheng Tian to frantically intervene to prevent the shop from suffering losses. Xiao Lu, observing the scene, remarked to himself that Ouyang Ziyu had been worried about Xie Xiaoni missing him, but she seemed to be enjoying herself.
As Liu Zixuan prepared to leave, he mentioned the upcoming bidding conference for Princess Lan Zhao's visit, explaining that successful bidders would be chosen to supply rare fabrics, high-quality cosmetics, porcelain, and jewelry as tributes. Xie Xiaoni, recognizing this as a major opportunity, declared Herb Hall's definite participation. Su Wenyu was convinced that Yan Wenxiu's manipulative nature would ultimately ruin the Su family if she remained in charge.
He questioned Di'er, his servant, why Yan Wenxiu, despite his repeated humiliations, refused to leave. Di'er suggested Yan Wenxiu's persistence stemmed from genuine affection. Su Wenyu found this notion absurd. Later, Yan Wenxiu heard Di'er's distressed cries and rushed to find Su Wenyu forcefully pinning Di'er. Di'er managed to escape, leaving Yan Wenxiu to confront Su Wenyu, whom she furiously called "shameless."
Su Wenyu unapologetically declared his desire for any woman he fancied, but pointedly stated he had no interest in Yan Wenxiu. He then cruelly announced his intention to ask his uncle to arrange for Di'er to become his concubine, making her Yan Wenxiu's sister. Overwhelmed, Yan Wenxiu returned to her room. Di'er tried to console her, explaining Su Wenyu's actions were meant to provoke her into leaving the Su family.
Yan Wenxiu, though understanding, stated she could no longer tolerate such humiliation but would not leave. She declared she had waited too long and endured the "disgusting title of Su's ladyship" and the "gossip from outsiders" for her own reasons, and she would not give Su Wenyu the satisfaction of driving her away.
Xiao Lu hinted to Ouyang Ziyu that Xie Xiaoni should check on his illness, but Ouyang Ziyu, fearing her worry, refused, asserting he would recover soon and would personally explain things to her. Xiao Lu then slyly brought up Liu Zixuan's frequent visits to Herb Hall, noting that Xiao Qin was already meticulously keeping track of Xie Xiaoni's business and her new cosmetic formulations.
Meanwhile, Housekeeper Xiao reported to Su Gongming about Su Wenyu's constant networking, particularly his close association with the Palace Market Bureau, causing Su Gongming significant concern. After Su Wenyu left Yuan Daocheng's residence, Mr. Gao questioned Su Wenyu's reliability, noting his "eagerness for quick success." Yuan Daocheng, however, saw Su Wenyu's ambition as an opportunity.
He confessed his long-standing irritation with Su Gongming and intended to use Su Wenyu's desire for power to create a "check and balance" between the uncle and nephew. Later, Su Gongming confronted Su Wenyu with thinly veiled sarcasm, instructing him to take Yan Wenxiu to Mr. Lin's birthday celebration next month. He emphasized that Yan Wenxiu was now a member of the Su family, and this gesture would maintain the family's dignity and silence external gossip.
Su Wenyu vehemently refused, stating that they had never undergone a proper marriage ceremony and, in his eyes, she was simply "Miss Yan." Su Gongming, enraged, threatened to expose Su Wenyu's clandestine business dealings if he did not comply. Yan Wenxiu, overhearing their argument, later advised Su Wenyu that the matter was "just a show."
She urged him to concede to Su Gongming's demand, not just for the family's reputation, but more importantly, to prevent the ruin of his own private business ventures. Liu Zixuan once again appeared at Herb Hall, but Xie Xiaoni and Yuan Xiang were too busy to entertain him. Xiao Lu, observing Liu Zixuan's frequent presence, discreetly placed horse manure in Liu Zixuan's carriage as a prank.
Liu Zixuan informed Xie Xiaoni that he had been appointed to supervise Princess Lan Zhao's upcoming visit, implying Ouyang Ziyu's illness meant he would no longer be involved. Hearing this, Xie Xiaoni grew alarmed and immediately rushed to King Luo's residence. There, she confronted Ouyang Ziyu, upset that he had hidden his return and his illness from her.
Ouyang Ziyu, in turn, expressed his jealousy over her close interactions with Liu Zixuan, making sarcastic remarks about her "quickness to make friends." Xie Xiaoni, feeling deeply wronged, tearfully recounted her profound worry during his absence and how his secrecy made her feel unimportant. Declaring that she should never have come, she stormed out, leaving Ouyang Ziyu distressed.
Disturbed by her departure, Ouyang Ziyu immediately ordered Xiao Qin to prepare his formal attire, declaring he would go to the palace to reclaim the responsibility for the Lan Zhao bidding conference. At that moment, Xiao Lu arrived with crucial information: he had located the inn waiter who poisoned them.
Xiao Lu confirmed he personally saw the waiter, identified as Fu San'er, entering Mr. Gao's mansion, solidifying Ouyang Ziyu's suspicion that the poisoning was a deliberate attack orchestrated by someone from the Palace Market Bureau. Returning from King Luo's residence, Xie Xiaoni was visibly disheartened. Yuan Xiang found Ouyang Ziyu's jealousy amusing, which only irritated Xie Xiaoni further.
Xie Xiaoni then playfully teased Yuan Xiang about her aunt and uncle discussing her marriage to Cheng Tian, mentioning she had seen Yuan Xiang secretly looking at wedding dress patterns, causing Yuan Xiang to blush and deny it. Meanwhile, the Emperor approved Ouyang Ziyu's request to assist in the Lan Zhao bidding conference, much to Mr. Gao's continued resentment.
Mr. Gao returned home and instructed his wife to arrange for the immediate removal of Fu San'er, the waiter involved in the poisoning. His wife protested, reminding him that Fu San'er was her nephew and had been promised a future in the capital, implying the unfulfilled payment for the poisoning plot. Mr. Gao explained that Yuan Daocheng feared the truth being exposed and insisted Fu San'er's departure was necessary to prevent legal repercussions for them both.
His wife, however, suggested keeping Fu San'er hidden within the mansion while telling Yuan Daocheng that he had been sent away. Fu San'er then appeared, brazenly demanding 180 taels of silver from his aunt, citing a desire to dine at a fancy restaurant and buy new clothes.
When Mr. Gao's wife offered a paltry five taels, Fu San'er retorted by calling his relatives "shameless" and insulting Mr. Gao's appearance, driving Mr. Gao into a furious rage and prompting him to order Fu San'er's immediate expulsion from the house.
